itself and purifying it duly, became engaged in austere meditation,
moved by the desire of supporting the Brahmanas. And worshipping the
maker of day with offerings of flowers and other articles, the king
performed his ablutions. And standing in the stream, he turned his face
towards the god of day. And touching the water of the Ganges the
virtuous Yudhishthira with senses under complete control and depending
upon air alone for his sustenance, stood there with rapt soul engaged in
_pranayama_.[7] And having purified himself and restrained his speech,
he began to sing the hymn of praise (to the sun).

"Yudhishthira said, 'Thou art, O sun, the eye of the universe. Thou art
the soul of all corporeal existences. Thou art the origin of all things.
Thou art the embodiment of the acts of all religious men. Thou art the
refuge of those versed in the _Sankhya_ philosophy (the mysteries of the
soul), and thou art the support of the _Yogins_. Thou art a door
unfastened with bolts. Thou art the refuge of those wishing for
emancipation. Thou sustainest and discoverest the world, and sanctifiest
and supportest it from pure compassion. Brahmanas versed in the _Vedas_
appearing before thee, adore thee in due time, reciting the hymns from
the respective branches (of the _Vedas_) they refer. Thou art the adored
of the _Rishis_. The _Siddhas_, and the _Charanas_ and the _Gandharvas_
and the _Yakshas_, and the _Guhyakas_, and the _Nagas_, desirous of
obtaining boons follow thy car coursing through the skies. The
thirty-three gods[8] with Upendra (Vishnu) and Mahendra, and the order
of Vaimanikas[9] have attained success by worshipping thee. By offering
thee garlands of the celestial _Mandaras_[10] the best of the
_Vidyadharas_ have obtained all their desires. The _Guhyas_ and the
seven orders of the _Pitris_--both divine and human--have attained
superiority by adoring thee alone. The _Vasus_, the _Manilas_, and the
_Rudras_, the _Sadhyas_, the _Marichipas_, the _Valikhilyas_, and the